The Divine Romance - Part I

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Sai Geetha, the pet elephant of Sri Sathya Sai Baba shed her mortal coil and merged with Sai at 5pm (local time) on 22nd May'2007. According to an eye witness on the eventful day, Sai Geetha went to the water tub just behind the planetarium and slipped into the water. She was very weak and her feet had sores. Her leg was stuck in the mud and unsuccessful attempts were made the whole day to pull her out. She was in a semi conscious state.

It was a difficult task for the people around to pull her out, considering her heavy body and cautious enough to not to hurt her body any further. Many veterinary doctors and others were there to attend to her and a specialist team from Kerala was on the way. Saline was administered into her body. However she breathed her last around 5pm, thus ending a great life, a saga of love between the creator and the created.

Any body who entered the premises of Parthi normally had a peep through the window of the bus to have a glance of Sai Geetha.. It was just an involuntary action. I remember in my childhood days, when the bus passed by her, we used to scream 'there is Sai Geetha!!!'.It was customary for the devotees on a sight seeing visit around the village to stop by Sai Geetha, to silently watch her in adoration and great respect and of course with a bit jealousy for having won Swami's heart.

She was of great motivation, adoration and a living example to all the devotees who came to our Lord's abode with devotion but with a little of wavering faith. Her devotion for Swami was steady, unconditional, innocent and full of love. She existed only to love and adore Him. That is the highest form of devotion and an important lesson that she drilled into our minds, that the whole purpose of life is to exist for the Lord and there is nothing greater than that.

The saga of the divine love began in the year 1962 when Swami went to Muddumalai forest, where he spotted a tiny baby elephant who had just lost her mother and was rescued by the forest officials. Little did she know that her Sai Ma would be coming, to take her home. Immediately she was named Sai Geetha and was shifted to Parthi in a truck.

Swami always looked after her well and every need of her was full filled. She was adorned with 27 types of ornaments, ranging from a Golden head gear to the silver ankles. Like a perfect mother, Swami was very particular about the way she should be dressed for important occasions. He would even check very keenly if her silver anklets were polished and if her dress and ornaments were intact. There was no festival or function without the beautifully decorated Sai Geetha in Kulwanth Hall.

Swami would make sure that He fed her with various fruits. Even to this day, He used to ask the boys to wheel Him towards her or let her come to the stage and feed her. Till late 2000 She insisted Swami to feed her by putting the fruits directly into her mouth and not into her trunk. However she started accepting fruits when Swami very lovingly placed on her outstretched trunk.